Re: Chow off the OC list

Norm Chow has been hired by UCLA as offensive coordinator, sources close to Chow told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

An announcement is expected Monday.

Chow was fired as the Tennessee Titans' offensive coordinator last Tuesday after a season of struggling to score points and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

The Titans (10-6) lost an AFC wild-card game to San Diego 17-6. They ranked 21st overall in total offense and became the first team with only nine touchdown passes to reach the playoffs in a 16-game season.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher had lured Chow from the same post at Southern California to the NFL in 2005 knowing they would need someone to develop a young quarterback after what turned out to be Steve McNair's final season with the franchise.

That has been Chow's specialty in more than 30 years of coaching in college where he worked with Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers, Jim McMahon and Steve Young.

When the Titans selected Vince Young with the No. 3 pick overall in 2006, they went with him over Matt Leinart, whom Chow coached at Southern California.

The Titans fared well enough in Chow's second season in 2006 when Young was the NFL's offensive rookie of the year. They were the only team other than San Diego to score 20 or more points in eight straight games in 2006, a first for the team since 1992.

But they had lots of scoring help from their defense and special teams.

In 2007, the offense improved from 27th overall to 21st. But the rushing game stayed fifth, the passing game improved only marginally and the Titans ranked last in the NFL scoring touchdowns in the red zone and were last in touchdown passes.

Some frustration bubbled up from Young after a 28-13 loss to Jacksonville on Nov. 11 when they didn't take a shot at the end zone before the end of the first half, and Young said he guessed, "The guys don't trust me."

Then during the Titans' regular-season finale at Indianapolis, broadcasters said Chow told them that Young tended to pout.

Chris Mortensen covers the NFL for ESPN. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.